Utility Workers in Peru Unearth Pre-Incan Tomb with 1,000-year-old Remains
This isn't the first time Calidda, the company that distributes natural gas in Lima, has found archaeological remains. Over more than two decades of excavation work to expand the underground network, the company says it has made more than 2,200 discoveries.
According to archaeologist Jose Aliaga, the vessels' iconography and their black, white and red colors 'allow us to establish a connection with the pre-Incan Chancay culture, which is approximately 1,000 to 1,470 years old.' Aliaga told The Associated Press that the individual was found wrapped in a torn bundle, in a sitting position with his legs against his chest, and his team will continue cleaning the remains.
'Lima is unique among Latin American capitals,' Aliaga said, 'in that various archaeological finds are unearthed during nearly every civil project.'
The Peruvian capital, a city of 10 million people, has more than 400 archaeological sites from the Inca era, the 15th century, or earlier, from the pre-Inca period, according to the Ministry of Culture.
On the same day, passersby stopped in their tracks to observe the burial site, even taking out their cellphones to take a picture.
'I always thought they were paths where no one had lived,' said Flor Prieto, who was walking with her 7-year-old daughter. 'But now I know that people older than the Incas have lived there … it feels so exciting.'
'It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima, mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials and, among these, mummified individuals,' said Pieter Van Dalen, dean of the College of Archaeologists of Peru. Van Dalen was not involved in the July 31 discovery.
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The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Nagasaki marks 80th A-bomb anniv. as survivors put hopes of nuke ban in hands of youth
NAGASAKI, Japan (AP) -- The southern Japanese city of Nagasaki on Saturday marked 80 years since the U.S. atomic attack that killed tens of thousands and left survivors who hope their harrowing memories can help make their hometown the last place on Earth to be hit by a nuclear bomb. The United States launched the Nagasaki attack on Aug. 9, 1945, killing 70,000 by the end of that year, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima that killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II and the country's nearly half-century of aggression across Asia. About 2,600 people, including representatives from more than 90 countries, attended a memorial event at Nagasaki Peace Park, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke, among other guests. At 11:02 a.m., the exact time when the plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, participants observed a moment of silence as a bell rang. Nagasaki pledges to be the last atomic bombing site Dozens of doves, a symbol of peace, were released after a speech by Suzuki, whose parents are survivors of the attack. He said the city's memories of the bombing are "a common heritage and should be passed down for generations" in and outside Japan. "The existential crisis of humanity has become imminent to each and every one of us living on Earth," Suzuki said. "In order to make Nagasaki the last atomic bombing site now and forever, we will go hand-in-hand with global citizens and devote our utmost efforts toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of everlasting world peace." Praying for nuclear abolition and no war Survivors and their families gathered Saturday in rainy weather at Peace Park and nearby Hypocenter Park, located below the bomb's exact detonation spot, hours before the official ceremony. "I simply seek a world without war," said Koichi Kawano, an 85-year-old survivor who laid flowers at the Hypocenter monument decorated with colorful paper cranes and other offerings. Some others prayed at churches in Nagasaki, home to Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan's feudal era. The twin bells at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the bombing, also rang together again after one of the bells that had gone missing following the attack was restored by volunteers. Despite their pain from wounds, discrimination and illnesses from radiation, survivors have publicly committed to a shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. But they worry about the world moving in the opposite direction. Survivors put their hopes in younger hands Aging survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put their hopes of achieving nuclear weapons abolition in the hands of younger people, telling them the attack is not distant history, but an issue that remains relevant to their future. "There are only two things I long for: the abolition of nuclear weapons and prohibition of war," survivor Fumi Takeshita said. "I only see a world where nuclear weapons are never used and everyone can live in peace." In hopes of passing on the lessons of history, Takeshita visits schools to share her experience with children. "When you grow up and remember what you learned today, please think what each of you can do to prevent war," Takeshita, 83, told students during a school visit earlier this week. Teruko Yokoyama, an 83-year-old member of a Nagasaki organization supporting survivors, said she feels the absence of those she has worked, which fuels her strong desire to document the lives of remaining survivors. The number of survivors has fallen to 99,130, about a quarter of the original number, with their average age exceeding 86. Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest of the survivors were too young to recall the attack clearly. "We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and thier lifetime story," said Yokoyama, whose two sisters died after suffering illnesses linked to radiation. Her organization has started to digitalize the narratives of survivors for viewing on YouTube and other social media platforms with the help of a new generation. "There are younger people who are beginning to take action," Yokoyama told The Associated Press on Friday. "So I think we don't have to get depressed yet." Nagasaki hosted a "peace forum" on Friday where survivors shared their stories with more than 300 young people from around the country. Seiichiro Mise, a 90-year-old survivor, said he is handing seeds of "flowers of peace" to the younger generation in hopes of seeing them bloom. Japan's security dilemma Survivors are frustrated by a growing nuclear threat and support among international leaders for developing or possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence. They criticize the Japanese government's refusal to sign or even participate in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons because Japan, as an American ally, needs U.S. nuclear possession as deterrence. In Ishiba's speech, the prime mininister reiterated Japan's pursuit of a nuclear-free world and pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation between countries with nuclear weapons and non-nuclear states at the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference scheduled for April and May 2026 in New York City. Ishiba, however, did not mention the nuclear weapons ban treaty. Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony Saturday. China notably notified the city it would not be present without providing a reason. The ceremony last year stirred controversy due to the absence of the U.S. ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city's refusal to invite Israel.
Nikkei Asia
3 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Through the Lens: Hiroshima marks 80 years since A-bomb
Headline Through the Lens: Hiroshima marks 80 years since A-bomb Hiroshima on Aug. 6 marked 80 years since the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the city. At a ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, officials called on young people to work toward the abolition of nuclear weapons as fears grow of a new nuclear arms race. On July 30, a visitor to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum looks at photos of the devastation caused by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945. (Photo by Antoine Lorgnier/AP) Visitors look at a map showing the impact of the bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on July 30. (Photo by Antoine Lorgnier/AP) An Allied correspondent stands in the rubble on Sept. 7, 1945, looking toward the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall after the Aug. 6 atom bomb attack. The building, also known as the Genbaku Dome, is now the centrepiece of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. (Photo) A mushroom cloud rises after the atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. (Photo by Kyodo) Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, far right, watches as doves are released at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Aug. 6. (Pool photo) A visitor looks at the city skyline from an observation deck on Aug. 5, a day ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) A staff member waits for the arrival of attendees as sprinklers are used to cool the venue for an event on Aug. 6, marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Students hold paper cranes at a park on Aug. 5, a day ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Police officers in riot gear patrol outside the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on Aug. 5, the eve of the anniversary of the atomic bombing. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP) Attendees sing during a remembrance ceremony for Korean victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 5, the eve of the 80th anniversary of the bombing. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP) Atomic bomb survivors observe a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6 in Hiroshima. (Photo by Kyodo) People pray in front of the cenotaph for the victims of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Aug. 6, the 80th anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing. (Photo by Yo Inoue) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Aug. 6 attends an event in Hiroshima marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Prime Minister Ishiba concludes his speech at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Aug. 6. (Photo by Arisa Moriyama) A woman prays in front of the cenotaph for the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing, at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Aug. 6. (Photo by Yo Inoue) Visitors to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park walk near the Atomic Bomb Dome on Aug. 6. (Photo by Kyodo) People carry lanterns around the Atomic Bomb Dome at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as they head to a Buddhist ceremony to commemorate the victims of the atomic bombing, on Aug. 5. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Visitors light incense sticks and pray at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park ahead of a memorial service to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing on Aug. 6. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP) A person prepares to release a paper lantern on the Motoyasu River, with the Atomic Bomb Dome in the background, on Aug. 6, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) Paper lanterns float on the Motoyasu River on Aug. 6. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP) Paper lanterns along the Motoyasu River pay homage to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP) Bonfires are lit along the Motoyasu River in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome during a remembrance ceremony in Hiroshima on Aug. 5. (Photo by Yo Inoue)
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- The Mainichi
The grandchildren of 2 men who experienced both A-bomb attacks 80 years ago now work for peace
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) -- When the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Ari Beser's grandfather was on board both of the American B-29 bombers that carried the weapons. On the ground, Kosuzu Harada's grandfather survived both attacks. Neither of the men -- U.S. radar specialist Jacob Beser and Japanese engineer Tsutomu Yamaguchi -- met during their lives. But both became staunch advocates of nuclear abolishment. Decades later, that shared goal has brought their grandchildren together. Ari Beser and Harada are telling their grandfathers' linked stories and working to seek reconciliation and understanding about an attack that continues to divide people in both countries. During this week's commemoration of the 80th anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks, the grandchildren visited a station in Hiroshima where Yamaguchi, badly injured, boarded a train back to his hometown of Nagasaki a day after the Aug. 6, 1945, attack. The two grandchildren then went to the Hiroshima peace park where they spoke with The Associated Press about what their grandfathers experienced during two of the 20th century's most momentous events and their consequences. Kosuzu Harada remembers her grandfather as a compassionate advocate for peace Yamaguchi was 29 when he was burned severely in the Hiroshima bombing. He was in the city on a temporary assignment as a shipbuilding engineer. After Yamaguchi arrived in Nagasaki, and was telling colleagues about the attack he'd witnessed in Hiroshima, the second bomb exploded. Harada first learned about her grandfather's experience of both bombs when she interviewed him for an assignment in elementary school. Yamaguchi didn't talk about his experience in public until he was 90 because of worries about discrimination. He then became a vocal activist for peace until he died in 2010. In 2013, Harada learned that the grandson of an American who was on the planes that bombed both Hiroshima and Nagasaki wanted to hear about Yamaguchi's story. "I had mixed feelings as a family member of the survivors," Harada said, recalling Ari Beser's first visit. Ari Beser quietly listened as Harada's mother talked about Yamaguchi. Harada and her mother were surprised when they learned the senior Beser was exposed to radiation during his missions. "We used to see ourselves only from the victims' perspective," she said. "We learned that war effects and ruins everyone's lives." "I feel it is my role to keep telling about the horror ... so that the same mistake will never be repeated," Harada added. She tours Japan to talk about her grandfather's story and to push for a nuclear-free world. Yamaguchi used to say that he could never forgive the U.S. government for dropping the bombs, but he had no hatred for Americans. Even as his health deteriorated, Yamaguchi still spoke of his past, holding an interview from his hospital bed. Beser, a visual journalist and producer, has since regularly visited Nagasaki, and he and Harada have become friends. Harada believes the U.S. government should formally apologize for the bombings. "A reconciliation takes time. It's a long process which takes generations," Harada said. Ari Beser's grandfather was considered a hero at schools for his role in the bombings When he was asked about the attacks during his first visit to Hiroshima 40 years ago, Jacob Beser did not apologize, but said: "I wouldn't say it was our proudest moment." He said the world needed to make sure it doesn't happen again. Growing up, Ari Beser was told that his grandfather's bone cancer was presumably from his radiation exposure during the bombing missions. In 2011, Ari Beser traveled to Japan for the first time to learn more about the bombings. He has since met many survivors and is eager to hear their stories. "Before, I think that we all believed in the same justifications. I can't justify it anymore," Ari Beser said about the bombings. "For me, all I focus on is trying to convey it to people so that it doesn't happen again." Because his grandfather was on both B-29s, Ari Beser was always interested in meeting a double survivor. That led him to Harada's family 12 years ago. "It's passing the baton and it's leaving the record. ... We are the keepers of memory," Ari Beser said. He was young when his grandfather died and never got to talk with him about the bombings. "I also want to interview him or just want to ask him so many questions" and find out if there were other options besides dropping the bomb. Despite language difficulties, the two grandchildren keep communicating and working together on projects, including a book about their grandfathers. As the world increasingly becomes a divisive place, with fighting in the Middle East and Ukraine, Ari Beser believes his work with Harada is more important than ever. "It makes you nervous, makes you worry because if this history repeats with today's nuclear weapons, it's almost unimaginable how much would be destroyed," Ari Beser said. Visiting Japan and meeting with Harada, he said, "makes me little bit more hopeful. ... Everybody needs hope and this is how I get hope."
